Unusual surge of 9-armed sea stars reported along Florida’s Space Coast | FOX 51 Gainesville
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Unusual surge of 9-armed sea stars reported along Florida’s Space Coast

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Published  June 3, 2025 10:38pm EDT
Brevard County
FOX 35 Orlando
Unusual surge of 9-armed sea stars on Brevard coast

Unusual surge of 9-armed sea stars on Brevard coast

An unusual and rare sighting is sparking excitement along Florida’s Space Coast, where beachgoers are reporting a surge in the appearances of nine-armed sea stars washed ashore.

The Brief

    • Sea stars in the sand are startling beachgoers on the Space Coast.
    • Several sightings have been reported from Melbourne Beach up to Satellite Beach.
    • Scientists aren’t totally sure what’s causing them to come in the sand but say you can help the creature by putting them back in the ocean.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - An unusual and rare sighting is sparking excitement along Florida’s Space Coast, where beachgoers are reporting a surge in the appearances of nine-armed sea stars washed ashore.

What we know:

Social media groups are talking about a surge in sea star sightings on the Space Coast. 

Many people have shared the rare experience of seeing nine-armed creatures in the sand. They have lived near the water their whole life but haven’t seen a sea star with that many arms up close. 

The animals still seemed to be alive because their tentacles were moving when beachgoers found them. Scientists say you can gently place them back in the water if you stumble on one. It’s too soon to tell what’s bringing them on shore. 

One marine scientist said it could be a patch of low oxygen or dredging off shore.

What we don't know:

It is still unclear what has caused the sudden surge of sea stars along the Brevard County coast.

What they're saying:

Beachgoers were shocked but pleasantly surprised to see the sea life up close.

"I was definitely a little shocked. I’ve seen five armed sea stars before, but I’ve never seen anything like this," said Elyse Craig who spotted a star near Melbourne Beach.

"It was very cool to see, so that’s why I knew I was supposed to put it back in the ocean just to be safe," said Denise Derrick Wright who saw multiple sea stars in Satellite Beach.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower saw a lot of people talking about sea stars on Facebook and messaged many. She met up with two beachgoers on June 3, 2025, who had recently come across stars. They shared photos and pictures of the sightings. She also read about sea stars online with information from NOAA. She also texted a marine science expert to try and figure out why the creatures could be coming on shore.

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